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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28030062">Safe</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/pistachioinfernal/pseuds/pistachioinfernal'>pistachioinfernal</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Umbrella Academy (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Hurt No Comfort, Temps Commision, but no-one dies, no beta we die like ben</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:14:21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>869</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28030062</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/pistachioinfernal/pseuds/pistachioinfernal</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He's the only one that can do it.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>15</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Safe</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“The latest reports for you Mr. V sir.”</p><p>Mr. V took the paper from the younger man as they walked down the hallway, scanning the contents before giving it back, nodding.</p><p>“Very good. Tell Herb and Dot to hire two new people to help with the workload.”</p><p>His assistant frowned. “Do we have the budget for that?”</p><p>Mr. V nodded, considering. “Good point. Use a temp agency instead.” He chuckled. “Hah, temps for Temps!”</p><p>The assistant cleared his throat. “Um...sir? Is that wise? If they’re only temporary we can’t...”</p><p>Mr. V stopped in the hall, then turned around, looking at his assistant coldly. “Number one, if necessary, we can always have Operations deal with them, that’s what they’re <span class="u">there</span> for. Number two, don’t ever <i>ever</i> question my decisions. Is that understood?”</p><p>The man looked at him nervously. “Understood.” V stepped closer to the man, lowering his voice.</p><p>“Understood <span class="u">what</span>?”</p><p>“Understood sir!”</p><p>He nodded, stepping back. “Better. I’m going to visit the Hargreeves for half an hour, I don’t want to be disturbed. And in the meantime, go deal with the temp agency.”</p><p>“Yessir.”</p><p>V sighed, shaking his head as he walked down the hallway. When he was coming up, surely no-one would have ever asked such a stupid question. Some days he actually missed Carmichael and the Handler.</p><p>Never mind, they were long gone, and he was the one who was here.</p><p> </p><p>He nodded to the guards as he arrived at his destination, a thick, barricaded door with a wheel in the middle.</p><p>“Open it.”</p><p>“Authorization sir?” said one of the guard, professional as ever.</p><p>“Authorization, Five, Seven, Four, Three, Two, One, Five.”</p><p>"Thank you sir." The guard nodded to him, and turned the wheel, pulling the door open.</p><p>He stepped into the Hargreeves living room. “Hello Vanya, Luther, Klaus.” He smiled reassuringly at them.</p><p>Vanya was sitting on the couch along with Luther and Klaus, in the living room of a perfectly ordinary, comfortable house.<br/>
It had kitchen, a television, five bedrooms, plenty of bathrooms.<br/>
But no outside door. Windows that showed only a blank, white void.<br/>
Vanya cast a withering look at him, which was better than Luther and Klaus, who barely even glanced at him.</p><p>“Come to visit your <i>pets</i> again?”</p><p>He shook his head. “You’re not pets. You have anything you could want here, books, movies, food, clothes-”</p><p>“Yeah...everything except our freedom.” said Klaus, rolling his eyes as he flashed his 'goodbye' hand.</p><p>He tutted at him. “Freedom? What’s the point of it? The freedom to die? To be killed, hurt, to have your heart broken?”</p><p>“You don’t get to make those choices for us!” said Vanya. She stood up, and her chest glowed faintly.</p><p>He shook his head again. “Seems I’m going to have the doctors up your dosage again...I don’t know how you keep adjusting to it so rapidly.”</p><p>V felt rather than saw movement behind him, and stepped quickly to the side, just in time to avoid Diego plunging towards him with a sharpened butter knife. The older man hit the ground with a thud, but quickly got back to his feet, glaring at him.</p><p>Another rush behind him, and this time he dodged a kick from Allison, tripping her so that she sprawled on the floor. “And you too Allison? Funny...I thought your action movie days were far behind you.”</p><p>“I’m sorry...I tried to distract him.” Vanya sighed, sinking back down as she buried her head in her hands. Diego shook his head, glaring at him. “Don’t be sorry. You did your best. <i>He’s</i> the one who should be sorry.”</p><p>“A sorry son of a bitch, that’s for sure.” muttered Allison.</p><p>“Not as sorry as you would have been if you had succeeded.” He graciously offered her a hand up, but Allison pulled away, stumbling to her feet to sit with her brothers and sisters.</p><p>“We don't deserve this you know...you don’t have the right to keep us here!” said Luther, thumping the arm of the sofa. The others nodded, staring at him with equal parts resignation and anger.</p><p>“Luther is right." said Klaus. "This isn't-"</p><p>“This isn’t what?” he snapped. “This isn’t fair? This isn’t <i>right</i>? I’ve heard every one of your arguments, and you know what?” He looked at them all, then snorted with contempt. “It’s just all so much...whining. Complaining. And not one drop, not one! of gratitude for everything I’ve done for you.”</p><p>He stared them all down. “You have to trust that I know what’s best for you. That I can keep you safe.”</p><p>He turned to go. “I’m going to have to cut my visit short this week. Oh and all the cutlery is confiscated for a month.”</p><p>“<i>Damn you</i>.”</p><p>He turned back with a frown. “What was that?”</p><p>“I said damn you Five!” shouted Allison. “What the hell happened to you?” Luther tried to hug her, but she pushed him away, angry tears in her eyes.</p><p>Mr. V....Five Hargreeves looked his family up and down and allowed himself a small smile. “What <span class="u">happened</span>? I grew up.”</p><p>He turned to go, waving. “See you all next week.” The door opened, then shut again with a resounding clang.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm sorry, this story idea came into my head and just wouldn't let go.<br/>Please leave comments, kudos if you liked!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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